Things to know before moving here

The following is a list of things to know before you move to London. Maybe I should start compiling a list now, and when I leave, write a book for the benefit of anyone who does move here. Knowing these tips before arriving would have saved me a lot of frustration.

1. Plain M and M's here are "choco" - This caused much confusion at the movies last Friday

2. Baking soda is bicarbonate powder - Much confusion in the store yesterday...I just want my fridge not to smell! Oh, and it was out of stock.

3. A vacuum is a Hoover even if it is not actually a Hoover brand. So you don't say, I need to vacuum today, you say I need to Hoover! My friends call theirs Hoovie!

4. A stroller is called a pram for the one that faces you and a buggy if it is one of those cheap-o ones that folds up.

5. A trolley is a shopping cart at the store.

6. An elevator is a Lift, but most of you probably already knew that!

7. Anytime they advertise fried fish on TV/radio they say fillets (fill-its instead of fill-ay)...drives me crazy!

8. You don't have to tip here. This was mind boggling, but actual British people who I have met told me not to! Some places add a service charge, but most don't!

9. There is an eat-in charge at most eating/coffee places. I guess it is because you are keeping the chairs warm?

10. Don't think that people will get your humor. Last night at dinner, the table next to us asked if we could watch their drinks while they went out for a smoke. They said they didn't want anyone to slip a ruffie in their drinks. I said "How do you know we won't"....They looked at me like I was crazy! It's a joke, people!

11. You can't watch hulu or abc .com here...sad story. This is especially sad bc we don't have a TV yet. Hopefully we will have one soon so we can watch DVDs on it!

12. The DVDs here are a different region so you have to get a special DVD player if you want to watch any of their movies from Blockbuster (which they have here!).

13. If you go in to a restaurant the first thing they will ask is, "to eat in or take away." There is no such thing as a to-go box or a doggie bag. Ask for a take away box.

14. Everything is pay as you go here. This gets dangerous because you always have to monitor your phone usage/internet usage, oyster card usage (card for riding public transport), etc.

Well, that's all I can think of for now! I will add to the list as I run in to more frustrating situations! I am trying to learn to laugh it off and just think "this is so silly" instead of getting frustrated! After all, we are probably the ones that changed things from their system, right??